Prof. Juan Cole hasn’t yet published an essay dealing with the Friday ruling by The International Court of Justice that “at least some of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war against Hamas could fall within the terms of the Genocide Convention.” However, his Friday essay deals with a recent fairly thorough poll conducted by You.gov which indicates Israel’s brand has expired with the majority of young Americans:
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Israel is losing its campaign against Gaza not so much on the battlefield — though it is unclear that very many of its military goals have been accomplished — but in the court of public opinion. The Israeli far right has long ignored such PR setbacks, convinced that as long as the US government protects it at the United Nations, it retains impunity.
The Biden administration cannot, however, veto public opinion. A new You.gov opinion poll finds that 34% of Americans believe Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza. I can’t tell you what an incredible statistic this is. In previous decades polling generally found that most Americans had no sympathy whatsoever for the Palestinians, who might as well have been gum stuck to the soles of the boots of Israeli troops.
These Americans are not just saying that the Israelis are oppressing the Palestinians (which most of them wouldn’t even have admitted 20 years ago). They’re saying that they think the Israelis are trying to wipe out the Palestinians of Gaza.
Moreover, it isn’t just that a third of Americans believe there is an ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. An absolute majority — 55% — of Americans aged 18 to 30 see it as a genocide. That isn’t a good sign for Israel’s future.
Prof. Cole notes that the majority of Democrats now take a very dim view of Israeli actions:
Moreover, a simple majority of Democrats believe the Israeli Gaza campaign is a genocide, some 51%. Again, Israel’s impunity has resulted from bipartisan support in the US, which is now shifting.
Here is a link to the entire IJC ruling.
The IJC ruling has gotten responses from several countries:
Spain:
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed the ICJ decision and called on the parties to implement the interim measures the court decreed.
“We will continue to advocate for peace and an end to the war, the release of hostages, access to humanitarian aid and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, so that both nations can coexist in peace and security,” Sanchez said.
Ireland:
Micheal Martin, the Irish minister for foreign affairs, welcomed the court’s orders, which he said were “final and binding. He added that Ireland expects Israel to implement the court’s orders “in good faith and as a matter of urgency”.
“Bringing about an end to this conflict and to the death and destruction in Gaza is a priority that must be pursued on all fronts – political, diplomatic, humanitarian and legal,” he added in a statement.
European Union:
Orders of the International Court of Justice are binding on the parties and they must comply with them. The European Union expects their full, immediate and effective implementation.
United States:
The United States said the ruling of the ICJ was consistent with Washington’s view that Israel has the right to take action, in accordance with international law, to ensure the October 7 attack cannot be repeated.
“We continue to believe that allegations of genocide are unfounded and note the court did not make a finding about genocide or call for a ceasefire in its ruling and that it called for the unconditional, immediate release of all hostages being held by Hamas,” a State Department spokesperson said.
Here’s the response from an Israeli government member who has called for the removal or liquidation of Palestinians entirely from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea:
“far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the ICJ after the court issued its interim ruling. “Hague shmague,” the minister wrote on the social media platform X.”
Hague Shmague? What do you think?